Orion
by Lingua Dii
Summary: Orion was the most powerful fire Pokémon ever born. When a great evil is on the verge of being released, the legend must be recreated. Rated T for language.
1. Prologue

Thousands of years ago, before the dawn of Pokémon trainers and pokéballs, Pokémon were much more powerful. It was then that a fire Pokémon, Orion, distinguished himself from all other fire Pokémon, past, present, and future. He could win against any Pokémon, and he never gave up, no matter the odds. The more powerful his opponents, the hotter his flames burned; most of his battles ended with everything around him for hundreds of yards burned to a cinder. He lived for the thrill of battle; the rush he felt when facing strong opponents.  
Nobody knew where he had come from, or what he wanted to accomplish by fighting. All they knew was he was always willing and able to fight anyone. The fringe groups believed he was the physical incarnation of fire itself, an idea he thought was amusing and flattering.  
He was known by many names, but most Pokémon knew him as "son of fire" – a name that further cemented the fringe beliefs about his origin.  
Just when it seemed he couldn't be defeated, he suddenly disappeared. Many believed he had finally met his match and lost, others believed he had sated his desire for battle and retired from it, and other still believed he had joined the old gods in eternal glory. Centuries after his disappearance, his story turned to legend, embellished by those who told it: Orion, the son of fire, forever undefeated.  
Before Orion's disappearance, while he was still largely unknown, the most powerful psychic Pokémon sensed a great evil; a being intent on consuming every life form on their world. They appealed to Arceus, creator-god of their entire race, for it to save them from such a creature. Arceus sent down its most powerful warrior to destroy the evil force, but even he could only imprison it, using his own life force to contain its immense power. The psychics were relieved – their world had been pulled back from the brink of destruction – but their relief was short-lived. When they touched the creature's prison, they quickly realized it was only a matter of time before Arceus's warrior was overpowered, and the evil released once more. To protect their world, they carved a warning for all those powerful enough to approach its prison. A prophecy, to let everyone know what was coming.

 _Everything everywhere, will bow to him, we're sure you can  
Imagine what it would be like, to become a god overnight  
Chaos and death everywhere, and that is why you must be prepared_

For centuries, the warning was heeded by all Pokémon. They increased their power by any means necessary, preparing to exterminate the creature as soon as it emerged from its prison, while it was still weakened. With the advent of trainers, however, their power waned, and the prophecy was lost in time.

* * *

3000 YEARS LATER

"Guys! I found something!"

Scientists researching the origin of the Unown, a Pokémon known for its similarity to written human language, came across several piles of dust and ash forming a perfect circle around a large cocoon.

"What **is** that?"  
"Looks like... dust?"

One of the scientists approached the cocoon, feeling his strength fading quickly, and collapsed. He immediately turned to dust before the others' very eyes. They didn't know what to say or do, until one of them saw the warning etched on the cave wall.

"Guys..."  
"...What did we just find?"

" _We found power... Godlike power... And I intend to make it mine._ "


	2. Chapter 1

Mike was on his way to yet another town. A nomad, he got a job anywhere he could find, stayed for a few weeks to gather just enough money to move to the next town over, then left. As he passed by the forest, however, he came across a Pokémon egg surrounded by several wild Rattata. The Rattata fled as soon as they heard him approaching, much to his confusion.

" _Hm... This is way too big to be one of theirs. I wonder where its parents are..._ "

Mike hesitantly picked up the egg. It felt warm, getting warmer with every second it was in his arms.

" _I guess I should try to find its parents, but... the forest is huge. Besides, it's not like they'd understand. They'd probably think I tried to take it. I could leave it here, but those Rattata looked hungry... Are its parents even still alive? Pokémon don't leave their eggs lying around... I guess I have no choice. Gotta take it with me. They'll know what to do at the PokéCenter._ "

Mike carefully placed the egg in his backpack, quickly heading toward the town.

* * *

Within a few hours, Mike arrived. The egg had been shaking a lot every few minutes, but it had stopped when Mike stepped foot in the town. However, the heat emanating from the egg only got worse, forcing Mike to take off his backpack.

"Excuse me, nurse?"  
"Hello! You're new in town, aren't you?"  
"Yeah. How did you know?"  
"Everyone comes here sooner or later, but I've never seen you before."  
"OK... Look, I found this egg, and I was wondering if you could take care of it."

Mike put his bag on the counter as gently as possible. As soon as he opened it, a Torchic jumped out, staring intently at him.

"Oh!" the nurse said.

" _Is that why it was moving around so much?_ "

The Torchic waddled around for a bit, jumping up and down, before finally cuddling up to Mike.

"It sure seems to like you."  
"I just came here to drop it off... I'm not a trainer."  
"I'm afraid that's not possible."  
"What?"  
"Do you know about imprinting?"  
"...You're telling me I'm stuck with it because it happened to see **me** before it saw **you**?"  
"That's the gist of it, yes."

" _God dammit..._ "

"I don't know **anything** about taking care of Pokémon!"  
"I can lend you some books about that... Just think of this as your new baby."  
"...I don't like children."

The Torchic glared at Mike, as if it had understood him, prompting the nurse to laugh.

"I think you offended it."  
"...Should I name it?"  
"If you want to, sure. It's... a boy, so pick a name you'd like... Here, this book will teach you the basics of caring for a Pokémon."  
"Thanks..."  
"Good luck! We hope to see you again!"

" _That just sounds... wrong._ "

"Come on, little guy..."  
"Wait, you don't have any Pokéballs, do you? I have one here I can give you."  
"No, that's alright... I don't like them."  
"I see... Well, it's up to you."

* * *

Mike rented a room in the town's only hotel. It was somewhat overpriced, but he had enough money to pay for a few days, if need be. It was a small room, containing a single bed, a chair, a TV, bathroom, and safe. Mike placed his belongings in the safe, and, within moments, he started flipping through the book the nurse had given him, sighing as he looked at the Pokémon he didn't want.

" _This is fucking stupid... I'm not fit to be a trainer. I don't know the first thing about taking care of Pokémon! Then again... I guess if kids can do it, I can do it too._ "

"Whaddya think, little guy?"

The Torchic quickly jumped on Mike's bed, letting out a happy cry.

"First things first: food. Let me see... what do Pokémon eat...? Hm, berries. Seems simple enough. Forest's full of 'em. Let's go, uh... Dave?"

The Torchic had a confused look on its face, prompting Mike to answer his own question.

"Yeah, didn't think so... Can't keep calling you 'little guy', though, can I? Hm... Sam? Maybe... James? What about..."

* * *

On their way to the forest, Mike and his small follower were showered with strange looks from everyone around them. From what he could overhear, it was unusual for a trainer to have a Pokémon outside its Pokéball. The Torchic was staring at everything and everyone, wide-eyed, trying to figure out what was going on.  
Within minutes, Mike found berries, placing a few of them at his new Pokémon's feet. He ate a few of them himself, as his partner was only poking them, clearly suspicious.

"They're good. These are a bit dry, but they're sweet."

The Torchic, soothed by Mike's tone, took a tentative bite. He enjoyed the taste, quickly devouring all the berries in front of him, spitting a small flame in delight.

" _I hope he's not this hungry_ _ **all**_ _the time... There aren't enough berries in the world for that._ "

"Hm... How does Blake sound?"

Mike's companion looked at him as if considering the name, nodding lazily at him.

"I guess that settles it then... Blake."

" _I can't believe I'm talking to a Pokémon like he actually understands a word of what I'm saying... I must've gone crazy from moving around all the time._ "

Blake suddenly tensed up, staring angrily at a nearby bush. Mike heard some rustling, but he didn't pay much attention to it. A couple Rattata popped out, attacking Blake without hesitation. Mike tried grabbing one of them, but the other immediately bit his hand.

" _Well, that was fucking dumb..._ "

When he tried picking up Blake, Blake himself pecked his hand, actually piercing the skin.

" _What the hell?_ "

Blake spat a few flames at one of his attackers, headbutting the other one. The Rattata retaliated, scratching him and slapping him with their tails. Mike once again tried to approach the scene and stop the battle, but Blake wouldn't let him get close.  
Blake made a dash for one of the Rattata, headbutting it again. He tried kicking the other one, but it was faster, jumping backward to avoid his attack, then running forward to scratch him. Mike watched the Rattata Blake had headbutted running away, leaving only one for him to deal with. He had stopped trying to get Blake away from the battle, instead watching it unfold. Blake attacked with fire once again, prompting the Rattata to flee, but also setting a few leaves on fire.

"Crap!"

Mike tried dousing the flames with anything he could get his hands on, quickly extinguishing them. Just to be safe, he poured the water he had brought on the pile of ash.  
Blake looked proud over his victory and the small fire, much to Mike's surprise. He didn't dare pick up Blake again, instead leading him out of the forest and back into town.

* * *

As soon as Mike arrived at the Pokécenter, the nurse chuckled.

"Back already?"  
"We... We were attacked."  
"Oh, my! Is he alright?"  
"Oh, he's fine, just a few scratches... Me on the other hand..."

Mike showed the nurse his hands. They had clear bite marks, minor burns, and one of them even had a small puncture.

"What happened?"  
"I tried breaking up the fight... First **they** wouldn't let me, then **he** wouldn't let me... Then he set the forest on fire."  
"What?!"  
"Don't worry, I put it out... Poured all our water on it afterward, for good measure."

The nurse examined Blake for a while, finally discovering why he had kept Mike at bay.

"Hm... Your Pokémon appears to have a lot of energy. He **needs** to fight to... let off some steam, if you will."  
"And he bit me because...?"  
"Pokémon are driven to fight. It's in their nature. Didn't you read the book I gave you?"  
"...I didn't get that far."  
"Well, you **were** only gone for a few hours... and your Pokémon appears to be unusually energetic. Come on, let me fix up your hands."  
"Thanks, nurse...?"  
"Lisa."

Lisa disinfected and bandaged Mike's hand, leaving Blake to her Chansey. In just a couple minutes, Blake was healed up.

"Don't try to put out fires with your bare hands, alright?"  
"Yeah, I got that... What do I do about **him**?"  
"The best you can do is try to teach him some discipline. Teach him to control himself."  
"How the hell do I do that?"  
"I don't have any books on parenting, but the library-"  
"Parenting? He's not a kid!" Mike laughed nervously.  
"Well, because you insist on not using a Pokéball, your options are limited. You can't recall your Pokémon to pull him away from battle or carry him... You do know he'll eventually evolve to be as tall as you, if not taller, right?"  
"He will?"  
"Yes... Look, why don't you finish reading the book I gave you? I'll answer any questions you may have afterward."

Mike stared absentmindedly at Blake, unsure of what to say.

"...We just went out to get some berries... I didn't think those Pokémon would attack."  
"Wild Pokémon hide in tall grass. You need to be more careful. They don't attack humans unprovoked, but if you have a Pokémon..."

" _So, I can't leave him with anyone, and, if I take him with me, he'll be attacked every couple steps. Great._ "

Blake leaped toward Mike, who reacted quickly enough to grab him.

"He sure seems to like you."  
"...Blake. I named him Blake."  
"It's a good name."  
"Thanks." Mike replied as he placed Blake on the ground. "Come on, kid... let's go to the hotel."

* * *

Blake followed Mike closely enough that his heat was reaching the back of Mike's legs. He stared at Mike's bandages the whole way, as if he didn't understand what had happened.  
Mike resumed his reading, quickly flipping through page after page of information, trying to understand it all.

" _Pokémon evolve to become more powerful, they're very smart, capable of understanding complex sentences, and some can even learn how to speak... Speech, huh? Maybe he does understand what I'm saying... They love to fight, have distinct personalities and tastes... Near as I can tell, they're almost exactly like humans, only much more powerful and they love to fight... But they don't age like humans. Can I actually raise one as a child?_ "

Mike's eyes drifted toward Blake. He was pecking the carpet, unsuccessfully trying to rip out some of its fibers. Mike sighed, prompting Blake to stare at him.

"If we're gonna do this... you need to learn how to **calm down**. Understand?"

Blake tilted his head from side to side, as if trying to figure out what Mike was saying. Mike sighed again, realizing Blake didn't know what he was talking about.

"I figured as much... Well, let's go to sleep. I'll try to get a job in the morning."

Mike lied down on his bed, prompting Blake to jump on him and nestle on his stomach. Mike tried putting him down on a pillow, but Blake was adamant, climbing his torso and lying down on his stomach again.

" _That's one of the most uncomfortable places you could have picked, kid... Oh well... I'm too tired to care anyway._ " Mike thought while he petted Blake.

Mike fell asleep in a few seconds, with Blake following close behind.

* * *

Mike woke up the next morning to a low scratching sound. Blake was no longer on his stomach, throwing up red flags for him. As soon as he rose, he saw Blake had torn a small hole on the door with his claws.

"Blake!"

The scream startled the young Torchic, who unwittingly spat flames at the door. Mike ran for the fire extinguisher, spraying its contents all over the door. Blake, meanwhile, was running around, getting caught by the extinguisher. The fire suppressant scared him further; he could feel it all over his skin, running and jumping around in a futile attempt to get it off. Mike was running after him with a water bottle in his hand, intent on dousing him with it.

"Wait! Stop!"

Mike finally managed to throw some water on Blake, prompting him to shake it and the remainder of the extinguisher off. Within a few seconds, the walls, bed, chair, and even Mike himself were covered in it, while Blake was clean and happy.

" _I need a shower... and room service._ "

* * *

The extinguishing agent easily washed away, but the time Mike spent getting it off himself only served to embed it in the soft fabrics and walls of his room.

" _...There's no tip big enough to cover this cleanup. It'll all have to be replaced. I think the kid just cost me all the money I have... I guess we're staying here for a while._ "

Mike spoke to the hotel's receptionist, quickly explaining what had occurred in his room. As soon as Blake was pointed out as the guilty party, the receptionist glared at him, reluctantly calling room service personnel to clean up what they could and replace what they couldn't. Sighing, he informed Mike the room would be cleaned up before the end of the day, but also that the bill would be left in his room. Mike confirmed he already expected as much, asking how much the receptionist thought it would cost. Pulling out a calculator, the receptionist made a few conservative estimations, showing the result to Mike afterward.

" _Yup, I'm broke. That leaves me just enough to buy food for myself for a week. Maybe a week and a half, if I ration it, or two weeks, if I can get freebies_ _ **and**_ _ration them... And people wonder why I don't like or want kids... I'd better leave him at the PokéCenter, before he ruins whatever job I try to get._ "

* * *

Mike led Blake to the PokéCenter, quickly handing him over to Lisa before she could ask what was going on. He explained what had happened, and she reluctantly agreed to hold on to Blakle for a while. When Blake realized what was going on, he struggled against Lisa's arms, trying desperately to rejoin Mike's side. As soon as Mike left, however, he started crying.

"You poor thing... Don't worry, he'll be back soon."

* * *

Much to his surprise, Mike was able to get a job interview at the PokéMart. The easiest job, however, was arranging the shelves. It wasn't the most glamorous or well-paying job, but it was the only option he had. He had no formal training in anything, and getting a better job would require time he couldn't spare and connections he didn't have.

* * *

Before Mike had even made it inside the PokéCenter, Blake was already running and jumping toward him. He pecked Mike's skin as gently as possible, trying to show affection, rather than harm him. Checking his watch, Mike realized he hadn't been gone for more than a few hours.

"He started crying as soon as you left." Lisa explained. "I don't think you should leave him alone again."  
"If I don't..." Mike said while trying to get Blake to stop pecking him. "He'll **eat** the entire PokéMart while I'm trying to work."  
"You got an interview that quickly?"  
"I'm... somewhat of an expert at getting easy jobs for money."  
"Look, I'm not a babysitter. You can't just dump him here whenever you want."  
"Well, what do you suggest?"  
"Become a trainer. Standard rules dictate the loser must give 10% of the money they have to the victor."  
"...How does that help me, if I have to spend it right away? Hell, how do trainers even make money like that if it's always just going around?"  
"There are some events trainers can sign up for. Some of them make the majority of their money that way."  
"But it's the **Pokémon** who are forced to perform. It's the **Pokémon** who are forced to battle."  
"As I told you, Pokémon are driven to fight and become stronger, just as we are driven to answer questions about the world around us. Just yesterday those Rattata attacked Blake unprovoked. Ever wonder why?"  
"...It doesn't seem right."  
"...Then **you'll** have to do it."  
"Do what?"  
"Train with him, every day. Train him to become stronger, at the very least so he can let off some steam."  
"I-I can't do that! Pokémon are way too powerful! Aren't they?"  
"Not at all. Some trainers train with their Pokémon. It helps strengthen the bond between them, and it's not as difficult as it sounds. Use your strengths and teach Blake to overcome his weaknesses."

" _This is nothing like taking care of a kid..._ "

"So... what do I do?"  
"Talk to our gym leader. Just make sure he knows you're not there to fight him... or he'll definitely challenge you."  
"Any particular reason he'd do that?"  
"...He likes fighting."

* * *

Mike reluctantly went into the town's gym. As soon as he stepped through the door, a man loudly greeted him, referring to him as a challenger. Mike quickly explained he was there for advice; not battle, surprising the gym guide. He took Mike directly to the gym leader, bypassing all the trainers and gimmicks. As he expected, the gym leader challenged him right away, leaving him little time to explain he wasn't looking for a fight.

"What kind of trainer doesn't fight?"  
"I'm not a trainer... This Torchic follows me around because he wants to."

The gym guide quickly went back to his post while the other two chatted.

"So why did you come here?"  
"Like I said, I'm not a trainer, but the kid has too much energy for him to control himself. If I don't get him to use that energy, he might just go ballistic."  
"Kid?"  
"...The nurse, Lisa, she said he was like my kid now."  
"She did, huh?... Well, first, I need to see what he's got, so I know what he can handle. Name's Rick, by the way."  
"I'm Mike, and this is Blake. How are you gonna see what he's got?"  
"Stand back."

Mike took a few tentative steps backward, prompting Blake to hurriedly hide behind him. Rick laughed, much to Mike's embarrassment, then took out one of his Pokéballs. A Donphan appeared in a flash of red light, sounding its horn to announce its presence. Mike stood between the massive Donphan and his small Torchic, trying to keep them from attacking each other. He could tell Blake was getting eager to fight, but he also knew there was no way he could win against a gym leader's Pokémon; not at his current level anyway.

"What are you doing?! I told you, I'm not here to fight!"  
"Don't worry. My Donphan can't be hurt by some Torchic."  
"That's not what I'm worried about!"  
"Relax! I promise, my Donphan won't touch a feather on Blake's head."

Rather than let Mike and Rick continue discussing, Blake took matters into his own hands, running around Mike and headbutting the Donphan without hesitation. Mike wanted to pull him away, but he knew Blake would probably peck him again if he tried. Rick watched carefully as Blake tried everything he could, from spitting small embers at his Donphan to pecking, scratching, and headbutting it. He even tried getting the Donphan on his back, before finally passing out from exhaustion. Mike quickly picked him up, ignoring the unharmed Donphan in front of him. Rick mumbled to himself for a while, revealing his analysis.

"Your... kid has a lot of stamina. I've never seen a Pokémon fight with such fervor! It was incredible!"  
"He passed out... Is he gonna be OK?"  
"Bah, he'll be fine; he's just tired... But that's another thing that surprised me: he never gave up, right until the end. You can see my Donphan is unharmed, and your Torchic undoubtedly realized his attacks weren't working, but he just kept trying."  
"So there's no way I can get him to control himself?"  
"I didn't say that... It'll just take a lot out of both of you. You'll probably need about... ten to twelve hours of training per day."  
"I can't do that!"  
"You have a responsibility-"  
"I got a job interview tomorrow! I can't work **and** train ten hours a day! When would I sleep?"  
"Look, you wanted my advice, this is it: you either train your ass off with him and become a _bona fide_ trainer, earning money the same way every other trainer before you has, or you work a normal job and hope **he** doesn't **explode**."  
"...When you put it like that, I don't really have a choice."  
"Good! Come back here tomorrow morning, 6 AM."  
"Why so early?"  
"Gym opens at 9, and I have to stay here all day. That gives me three hours to get your training started, and you can take it from there."  
"Fine... Thanks for your help, Rick."

* * *

Mike and Blake trained together for months, joining the gym's entourage after the first two weeks, to pay for their expenses. Though Blake either trained until he passed out or fought until either he or his foes couldn't move, nothing seemed to help with his self-control. Mike quickly realized the stronger Blake became and the more foes he defeated, the more he focused on fighting and training. Rick reassured him Blake would get over it, eventually, but he was getting more and more desperate each day. Blake barely listened to anything he had to say any more, preferring to fight or train. Mike knew it was only a matter of time before Blake left him altogether, seeking more powerful opponents. One day, Mike finally decided to stop telling him what to do. While Blake headbutted a target, intent on smashing it, Mike sat down next to him.

"Blake?"

Blake kept attacking the wooden target, seemingly unaware of Mike's presence.

"...Rick says I shouldn't talk to you like this, that you won't respect me for it, but here's the truth: I'm not the parent type. I don't know how to deal with kids. I think I've proven that with you... And yet... You follow me around town, we talk, we have fun... but when you fight, it's like you're not there any more... Your eyes become cold, you attack without concern for yourself or your opponent... I don't like how you train until you pass out. I don't like having to rely on you winning battles just so we can make ends meet. I know you like fighting, and, to be honest, I love sparring with you, even if you do like to set things on fire... But I just don't want you to turn into a mindless fighting machine. You're more than that... You're my son, Blake... And I love you."

Blake prepared a final strike to destroy the training doll, prompting Mike to get up and slowly walk away. Just when he was about to cross the door to the outside of the training room when he noticed the training doll hadn't been destroyed or set on fire. Turning around, he saw Blake staring at him, a bittersweet smile somehow adorning his face.

"...Dad... Sorry."


	3. Chapter 2

Mike couldn't believe his ears. Although he had read Pokémon could learn to speak, he had never actually heard any Pokémon speak in his life. Even Blake, with whom he had been talking almost nonstop for months, had never uttered a single word to him. Although his speech was clearly forced and far from perfect, it was a monumental triumph. More importantly, Mike could actually have a conversation with Blake, and not just ramble on and on to a mute listener.  
The first moment of open dialogue, of actual communication on a physical and emotional level, was only ruined by Rick, who flew into the training room after realizing Blake had suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong? It's still early, he should have plenty of energy left."

Mike was still in a daze from hearing his son speak, but Blake quickly snapped him out of it by perching on his shoulder.

"...S'go." Blake whispered.  
"A-Are you sure?"

Blake immediately nodded, prompting Rick to ask once again what had happened.

"...The kid wants to go, Rick."  
"What?! Go **where**? And how do **you** know?"  
"H-He spoke."  
"Mike..."  
"I know it sounds crazy, but he can talk."  
"It's not that... You can't let **him** tell **you** where to go!"  
"...I'm not, Rick. Your idea wasn't working, and you know it."

Mike shook hands with Rick, ignoring his pleas for them to stay, saying goodbye to the trainers and the guide while he left with Blake. At the hotel, before packing, Mike decided to talk to Blake for a little while. He didn't really have any subject on his mind; he just wanted to hear Blake speak.

"...So, where do you want to go?"

Blake stared outside sheepishly, unsure of the words he should say to explain himself.

"You want to go outside?"

Blake nodded.

"Anywhere in particular?"

Blake shook his head.

"Well, before I found you, I just went from town to town. It'd be nice to do it with someone else. Whaddya say?"  
"Y... Yes."

Mike picked Blake up, placing him on his shoulder.

"Be careful, alright? I don't want you to fall down. Let's go."

* * *

In a few minutes, Mike was ready to leave. Before he moved on to the next town, however, there was still something he needed to do.

"Hey, Lisa."  
"I take it you're leaving." Lisa said, eyeing Mike's bags.

Mike nodded.

"The training wasn't working, and Blake wants to go too."  
"How do you know that?"  
"...He told me."  
"You mean he spoke to you?"  
"Yeah."  
"Hm."  
"...You don't seem surprised. Did you know?"  
"I... I suspected. He seemed to understand you from the start, and... I just figured he'd say something, eventually."  
"He's a bright kid." Mike added, petting Blake. "Anyway... I just came here to say goodbye. And, y'know, thank you for your help."  
"You're welcome, Mike."

After a quick farewell, Mike headed out, with Blake following closely behind him.

* * *

Much to Mike's surprise, no wild Pokémon attacked for several kilometers. Blake was staring in awe at the tall trees around him, futilely attempting to climb them every once in a while. Every time, he fell on the soft ground with a low thud, prompting Mike to help him back up. Finally, when they were almost at a new town, a Pidgey swooped down to attack Blake.

" _I guess it was inevitable._ " Mike thought.

The Pidgey cautiously hovered just out of Blake's reach, as if gauging his strength. Blake tried jumping after it, to no avail. He quickly became enraged, spitting fire at his flying opponent as his blind fury took hold. Mike backed away, for fear he'd accidentally be set on fire.  
Blake's foe retaliated with powerful gusts of wind that knocked him into a tree. Blake immediately went berserk, unlike anything Mike had seen before. He jumped from tree to tree, trying to headbutt the Pidgey. Mike noticed a slight distortion around Blake, generated by heat waves emanating from him. Every step he took left behind a black footprint – scorch marks. The Pidgey was trying to keep up with Blake, but too much spinning around had left it disoriented. When Blake focused all his energy into a single fireball, his foe had no time to evade it and was instantly knocked out.  
Mike waited as Blake gradually calmed down. The ground beneath him was no longer scorched when he walked over it, and the heat waves distorting the air eventually stopped as well. With one final, forceful exhale, Blake was himself again. He looked at Mike, seemingly proud of his victory, but also confused. He didn't understand what had happened; just that he'd won.  
Rick's warning echoed in Mike's ears. He wondered if Blake would go berserk, in time. Looking at him, with his innocent expression, Mike didn't believe he could hurt anyone. However, when he was in battle, only three things stopped him – his foe being knocked out, his foe escaping, or Blake himself being knocked out. Even if his foe surrendered, Blake would keep attacking. Mike wasn't sure Blake understood what "surrender" meant, as he had never tried it himself. To him, it just wasn't an option.  
Blake was too tired to walk, so he jumped on Mike's and perched on his shoulder. Mike sighed, picking up his backpack and heading into town.

* * *

Meanwhile, the scientists who had been performing experiments on the object they'd found were close to a breakthrough. They knew it fed on the energy of any living thing that came near it, leaving behind a pile of dust. However, there was a resistance to the effect. At first, they thought it was the living thing's own opposing force, but now they had evidence that indicated otherwise.

"It's like this... egg... doesn't **want** the energy we're giving it."  
"But after a while, it does anyway. Could it be intentional?"  
"Maybe... But for what purpose?"  
"I don't know. Every time it absorbs energy, the resistance decreases."  
"...Two entities."  
"What?"  
"If there were two entities in there... One could be opposing the other... We need to study this phenomenon further. If we can find a way to extract this energy... we could revolutionize power generation for the entire planet."

" _These fools... They don't know what they're playing with._ "

Inside the cocoon, a voice reached out to the scientist who wanted to use it. Its dull voice echoed loudly in his head.

"Mortal."  
"W-Who are you?"  
"Free me, and infinite power will be yours."

There was a second voice that pleaded the scientist to stop his experiments and leave the cocoon alone. However, the more powerful one drowned out everything else.

"H-How do I free you?"  
" **Feed me**."

Its demand made, the voice became quiet. It kept listening to the scientist's thoughts, only resting once it realized he would do exactly as it wanted.

* * *

The town was finally in sight. Mike stayed out of every trainer's way, to avoid fighting anyone. He didn't understand why trainers fought with every other trainer that crossed their line of sight, but he didn't care much about it either – he just wanted to go through an area with as few distractions as possible. Blake always managed to make it difficult, however. His lust for battle prompted him to follow any indication of Pokémon, and though he hadn't yet associated trainers with Pokémon, he could tell when an area had recently been used for battle.  
The first thing Mike noticed upon setting foot in the new town was a large Pokéball-shaped dome in the distance. It was clearly a place where Pokémon contests were held. He'd have to avoid it at all costs. The second thing he noticed was a Pokémon daycare. It was close, but Blake didn't react to it. To go further into town, they had to walk past the daycare. However, even as Blake stared at the Pokémon inside, he seemed strangely calm.

" _I guess he_ _ **can**_ _hold back, but... Why now? Why here?_ "

Hesitantly, Mike entered the daycare, with Blake jumping off of him and onto the reception desk. He immediately cuddled up to the receptionist, much to Mike's surprise. She pet Blake almost instinctively while talking to Mike.

"Hello. My name is Rachel. I take it this your first time here?"  
"Yeah. What do you guys do here? The sign says you're a daycare, but... what does that mean, exactly?"  
"We provide a place for Pokémon to stay, for a fee. They grow stronger here, independent of their trainers. When their trainers so desire, their Pokémon are returned to them."  
"...How do you keep them from fighting each other?"  
"In the wild, Pokémon fight each other because they feel threatened." Rachel explained. "Trainers trespass on their territory carrying several Pokémon they don't recognize, so they react instinctively. Here, they're relaxed and at ease with each other. There's no 'threat' for them to fight."  
"I see..."

After deciding he had been pet enough, Blake jumped back onto Mike's shoulder.

"Did you want to leave your Torchic with us?"  
"No, no... To be honest, I'm having a small problem with him."  
"I'm afraid that's just the way fire Pokémon are. They're... hotheads, if you'll pardon the pun."  
"Why? Is there any way to calm them down?"  
"...Every fire Pokémon has a... a-a spark, if you will. They depend on it to survive. Charmander and their evolutions die if their tails are put out, Magcargo will turn to stone and become brittle if you cool them down sufficiently, and so on. But this spark can quickly turn into a rampaging fire inside them. They need to blow off some steam every once in a while, or... Well, let me put it this way: fire burns. It consumes everything in its path. Now imagine you have something like that inside you. It won't kill you, and it doesn't really hurt, but it makes every muscle in your body scream. Fighting relieves that sensation."

Mike stared awkwardly at Rachel for a long time. He didn't understand how she could know all that, when Lisa didn't seem to know it. Seeing his confusion, she smiled. She told him she'd been working with her grandmother at the daycare for as long as she could remember and could connect with Pokémon on a level most people couldn't. She'd tried to teach others how to do the same for a while, to no avail. Despite her claims, Mike remained adamant there was a way to get Blake to calm down that didn't involve pitting him against other Pokémon. The receptionist's supposed ability sounded like it came straight from a fairy tale, or perhaps her own imagination. She didn't expect him to believe her – nobody believed her – but the fact he was pretending to was almost insulting. Mike finally picked Blake back up, thanked the receptionist for her help, and left. Blake seemed somewhat sad to go, but he remained on Mike's shoulder.

"Bye, Rachel!" Blake yelled before he and Mike left.

Rachel's eyes widened upon hearing Mike's Torchic speak, reaffirming Mike's belief that her supposed ability was imaginary. If she really could empathize with Pokémon, how was she unable to gleam such an important piece of information? Mike headed out in search of a motel room. Along the way, he had to avoid even more trainers, all of whom put Blake in a frenzied mood, itching to fight. By the time they actually reached the motel, Mike's arms were numb from the effort of restraining Blake.

* * *

The motel room was different than he'd expected. Instead of a bed, he found a futon by the window, and the bathroom was barely large enough for him to stand, but he also had a lot more furniture in the room than what he was used to. A nightstand, a dresser opposite the bathroom door, a desk, and even a minibar.

" _Why would someone use a nightstand with a futon? That's just pointless. Well, whatever. It has a bed, a bathroom, and a minibar. I've been in worse places than this._ "

Blake seemed agitated as Mike lied down on the futon. He kept glancing outside and at Mike, sniffing about as if searching for something.

"Blake." Mike said, sitting upright. "Do you really want to fight?"

Blake nodded hesitantly. He'd never willingly hurt Mike, which is why he allowed himself to be restrained, but he couldn't deny his instincts either. Every muscle on his body urged him to fight, to become stronger, faster, better. He was brimming with energy, and he only knew of one way to get rid of it – fighting.

"...Alright. Next thing tomorrow, I'll take you down to the center to fight. But you have to promise to stay calm until it's time for you to fight, understand? You can't break a promise."  
"Y-Yeah!" Blake replied happily. "Th-Thanks, dad!"  
"You're a good kid."

" _I'm going to regret this..._ " Mike thought, patting Blake's head.


	4. Chapter 3

Blake anxiously waited for Mike to take him fighting. He was so excited, he didn't sleep a wink; instead, he'd been standing next to the door all night, sometimes sitting down when his feet started hurting. When Mike was finally ready, however, he couldn't help but hop around in excitement.

"Remember what you promised, Blake. You have to stay calm until it's your turn, alright?"

Blake nodded incessantly in response. Mike wasn't sure he'd even heard anything he said.

* * *

On their way to the dome, Blake and Mike came across several trainers and Pokémon, both wild, scurrying around town, and under a trainer's care. Every time he saw one, Blake asked Mike if they were the ones he was going to fight. Mike told him to wait every time, but Blake was impatient. He desperately wanted to fight. Mike's senses weren't as accurate as a Pokémon's; Blake could hear every pebble Mike unwittingly kicked aside, every step either of them took, every automatic door, every battle; he could feel every grain of sand embedded in the sidewalk, see each leaf waving with the breeze, smell every Pokémon in the vicinity. It was a constant assault on his senses, sensory input streamed from every nerve on his body into his brain, creating a dull static only he could hear.  
When he fought, however, it was quiet. Peaceful. His mind was focused, sharp, reacting only to one source of input. There was no noise, no pain, no overwhelming of his senses. Just him and his foe, locked in battle, trying to determine who was stronger. More often than not, Blake was also the victor, which he didn't mind at all. Even when he and Mike were working at the gym, he usually defeated a couple of the challengers' Pokémon before he was inevitably knocked out.

"We're here." Mike said.

Blake glanced upward. The dome seemed to go on forever, almost blocking the entire skyline. He stared at it in awe, completely forgetting he was there to fight. Mike stepped through the large automatic door, but Blake seemed almost intimidated by it. He couldn't take a single step forward.

"Blake? You OK, buddy?"

Mike quickly approached Blake, kneeling down to speak with him.

"I know it looks scary, but it's OK. Trust me."

Blake nodded and stayed directly behind Mike, nearly making him trip. The inside of the dome was as overwhelming as the outside. Blake had never seen a ceiling that high; he couldn't even tell where it ended. The artificial lights were much brighter than anything he'd ever seen, and a lot more colorful as well. He didn't even know light could be different colors.  
While Blake appreciated the scenery, Mike approached the reception desk.

"Hey, um... I've never-"  
"It's very simple. First, you pick the type of battle you want – single, double, or triple – and register your Pokémon here."  
"Uh... single battle, I guess? I only have the one Pokémon."  
"Hm."  
"What?"  
"You may want to get a few more Pokémon. Most trainers here have three."  
"Look, he... he just wants to blow off some steam. I promised him I'd take him fighting."

The receptionist flashed a look Mike had become all too accustomed to seeing whenever he spoke of Blake as if he were a human: confusion and ridicule. However, he quickly returned to a neutral expression and spoke plainly.

"Well, I can't force you to quit. Please sign here... Pokémon name here... Check there... Name here... Now, go through there and wait until you're called."  
"Thanks... Hey, how often can I get him healed up?"  
"After every battle."  
"Do we get anything if we win?"

The receptionist couldn't help but chuckle at Mike's question. With one Pokémon, he wouldn't even win the first battle.

"Well?" Mike asked, annoyed.  
"Yeah, sure. If you're at the top three, you get a cash prize. If you're the best, you get a rare item as well."  
"Thanks. Come on, Blake."  
"W-Wait, dad!" Blake yelled.

" _...Pokémon trainers are freaks._ " the receptionist thought. " _And this one has his Pokémon calling him 'dad'? The fuck is up with that?_ "

* * *

Blake's concerns about his surroundings disappeared once he saw the dozens of trainers waiting to be summoned. They all had at least one Pokémon out, greatly sparking his interest. He looked at Mike, as if asking if they were the ones he was going to fight. Mike said it wasn't time yet, but he would fight at least some of them. Blake's body temperature rose with his excitement, creating a small pocket of hot air centered around him. He sized up his opponents, from the small Bellsprout near the exit to a Noctowl flying around. There were strange Pokémon he'd never seen before: a Ditto, a Dunsparce, a Kecleon, and even a Lunatone and Solrock pair. However, the weirdest Pokémon he could see was something that didn't even seem to be alive: a Shedinja. Like the Lunatone and Solrock, it hovered without making a sound. Blake caught a glance of its back – dark and empty, yet it seemed to go on forever, inward. Its eyes were also mere sunken holes in its face, and its entire body was similar to an empty shell, like something had crawled out from it. Whatever it was, Blake hoped it wasn't as eerie as the Shedinja itself.  
Mike was just as focused on the Shedinja as Blake. He'd seen empty bug cocoons before, and Shedinja was oddly similar to one. The endless void in its body told him it was completely hollow. That, in itself, frightened him more than any other physical aspect of the golden Pokémon. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen, as if a lifeless, spent shell had been reanimated. How would such a creature even be defeated? Could it even be defeated? However, Mike was also confident in Blake's ability to defeat it, or at least find any potential weaknesses. If it had any, he'd figure them out.

* * *

Trainers were called, one by one, and Blake grew more anxious. Everyone got a chance to fight before he did, but only half of them returned. He didn't understand why the other half left. To pass the time, he asked Mike about everyone around them.

"D-Dad? A-Are... they... dad?" Blake asked, referring to the trainers.  
"...It's complicated."  
"Hm?"  
"W-Well, um..." Mike said, kneeling down. "You see, for most people, Pokémon are friends, or creatures to be trained or collected. Not family."

Blake seemed conflicted. He already knew his relationship with Mike was unusual for a Pokémon, but he didn't know most Pokémon were thought of as mindless creatures to be used in battles. Was he wrong to think of Mike as a father, or were the others wrong not to do the same with their trainers?

"But that doesn't mean they're treated badly. Most people treat Pokémon with the respect they – you – deserve."

" _There are a few exceptions, but I don't think you're old enough to hear about that._ " Mike thought, petting Blake. " _Even I wish I didn't know about it. Unfortunately, wherever there's power, there's always someone trying to get it... And Pokémon are incredibly powerful._ "

* * *

Finally, it was Mike's turn. Blake ran out in front of him and nearly collapsed once he passed the threshold of the arena. The noise from the audience, the lights flashing in his eyes, he was overwhelmed. His breath and heart raced, his vision became blurry, and the noise in his head was almost enough to make him scream. Suddenly, Mike showed up, gently touching his head. Blake instantly snapped out of his trance.

"Hey, buddy. Everything OK?"

Blake nodded in agreement, but he was clearly distressed. Mike picked him up and put him on his shoulder, before walking forward with him.

"D-Dad, I..."  
"What's wrong?"  
"M-My... I-I..."

Blake wanted to tell Mike about the deafening noise, but he didn't know the words. Instead, he resorted to toughing it out until it was time to fight.

"...Nothing." Blake said, heading into the ring.

After a brief announcement, Blake was finally face-to-face with his first opponent: a Ditto. Its purple slimy body freaked him out a bit, but when it transformed into him, Blake was both astounded and fascinated. However, he didn't have any time to think, as the Ditto, still imitating the Torchic's form, began its assault.  
Blake tried headbutting it, but its gelatinous body bounced back the impact and sent him flying. He tried scratching it, and was again met with failure, as the Ditto quickly recovered from any injuries. He kept at it, quickly losing stamina to the bizarre Pokémon, who did little more than reflect and dodge his attacks. In desperation, Blake spat a large fireball at his opponent. Much to everyone's surprise, it turned back to its original state and collapsed into a purple puddle on the floor. The Ditto was recalled before anyone could figure out what had happened, and replaced with another strange opponent: a Bellsprout.  
Mike's opponent was visibly troubled from having to use a grass-type against a fire-type, hinting it was his last Pokémon. When the Bellsprout realized who his opponent was, he panicked and seemingly surrendered, going against his trainer's orders. However, Blake simply knocked him out anyway, earning a round of applause from the audience.

* * *

After the battle, Mike asked his opponent about the Ditto Blake had faced. Its apparent immunity to Blake's attacks was incredible, yet it collapsed after just one fireball. When pressed, the trainer finally revealed his secret.

"My Ditto just pretends not to be hurt. It can shapeshift, and give the illusion that it's not being hurt at all. After a while, most opponents just give up. If they don't, Bellsprout usually deals with them afterward. Unless they're fire-types, of course."

Blake was horrified to hear the trainer's strategy – his Ditto was nothing more than a punching bag for his opponents' Pokémon. He began to question Mike's earlier claims, about how trainers respect their Pokémon. Mike was just as disgusted by the trainer's attitude, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it. Technically speaking, if he wasn't pushing his Ditto to fight or controlling him somehow, what he was doing was exercising poor judgment as a trainer, and it was perfectly legal.

"...Let's get you healed up, Blake."

Unable to contain himself, Blake blurted out one sentence before chasing after Mike.

"Y-You're a b-bad t-trainer!"

Blake angrily stomped his feet on the way out, much to Mike's amusement.

* * *

While Blake was getting healed up, Mike had a look around. The Lunatone/Solrock duo was still around, as were the Dunsparce, Kecleon, and Shedinja. Once again, Mike's eyes were drawn to the Shedinja and its eerie appearance. It was impossible to know what it was thinking, as its entire body was rigid and immobile. It showed no signs of emotion, but it was clearly intelligent. It had taken notice of Mike staring at it and stared back. He couldn't move a muscle; it was as if it was doing something to him. The entire room began to fade away, until it was just him and the Shedinja, floating in darkness.

"D-Dad?"

Blake's voice yanked Mike back to the real world. He shook and held his head, quickly sitting down.

"I'm OK, Blake. Just a headache."  
"Head... ache?"  
"My head hurts a bit. It's fine, trust me."

Mike glanced at the Shedinja. It was no longer staring at him; instead, it seemed to be focusing on Blake. The Torchic seemed oblivious, but Mike was concerned.  
The Shedinja's trainer was called up, but before it was put back in its Pokéball, it looked at Mike one last time, as if to mock him.

"Stay here." Mike ordered. "I'll be right back."

Mike left Blake behind to observe the Shedinja's fight. A Machamp was punching it with as much power as its four gargantuan arms allowed, yet it remained immobile in mid-air. Mike had heard tales of Machamp moving entire mountains by focusing all their strength in their arms, yet there was no reaction from the Shedinja. There was no sound either; it was as if the Shedinja was absorbing the powerful impacts. The Shedinja noticed Mike, giving him the same chill he'd felt in the waiting room.  
After several minutes, the Machamp was exhausted, yet the Shedinja's husk-like body was intact. Eventually, the Machamp passed out from exhaustion. The crowd was greatly displeased. They complained that the Shedinja had done nothing whatsoever during the match, and blamed the Machamp's trainer for his lack of fighting skills, but Mike was utterly terrified. He knew the Machamp had tried his best; his opponent was simply immune to his attacks.  
The husk Pokémon glanced at Mike once more, before going back to its Pokéball. Mike turned around, immediately realizing Blake had followed him.

"W-What was **that**?"  
"Blake! I told you to stay there!"  
"I was w-worried... S-Sorry..." Blake said meekly.

Mike didn't know why he had yelled. Blake was just a curious child; he didn't mean any harm. He realized he had actually managed to startle the small Torchic.

"...I-It's alright. I'm sorry I yelled. Look, whaddya say we get ice cream after this?"  
"I-Ice... cream?"  
"Yeah. It's, um... Well, it's good. You'll see."

* * *

The battles continued for a while, and it seemed like the Shedinja would be in the finals. However, much to Mike's relief, Blake wouldn't be matched with it. After a close call with the Kecleon, Blake was matched with the Lunatone/Solrock duo.  
Blake scratched, pecked, headbutted, and even burned the Lunatone hovering around him, but his attacks had no effect. The crowd was restless, demanding to see Mike's other Pokémon, quickly realizing he had none. However, Blake didn't give up. Even while he was being tossed around by the Lunatone's telekinesis, Blake simply got back up and attacked until he finally passed out.  
Although Blake was defeated effortlessly, his matches hadn't gone unnoticed. Mike was quickly approached while Blake lain resting.

"Your Torchic is incredible!"  
"...Yeah, he is."

Mike was sitting at Blake's bedside, clearly worried about him, but for the stranger to get what he wanted, he'd need Mike to be relaxed.

"Ah, he'll be fine. Pokémon are quite resilient, and get the best medical care in the world – it's even better than ours!"

" _I've heard that one before..._ " Mike thought.

"Listen, I'll get right to the point. I'm working on a project, and I'd like your help with it."  
"You mean you'd like **his** help."  
"Well, if you want to put it that way..."  
"No. Whatever it is, I won't have him be a part of it."  
"Are you sure? It pays handsomely."

Mike angrily got back on his feet. The stranger was treating his kid like a tool to be bought and sold, and he wouldn't have that.

"I said no."  
"But-"  
"Get the **fuck** out of this room right now!" Mike yelled, pointing toward the door. "And leave him – **us** – alone."

Mike's screaming woke Blake up. He groaned and called out to his dad.

"I'm right here, buddy."  
"W-Why were you y-yelling, dad? D-Did I do s-something bad?"  
"It's not your fault, Blake. Someone was just... being rude."  
"I humbly apologize for my transgression, sir. I wish to make reparations. I didn't mean to-"  
"Tr-Tra... R-Repa..." Blake stuttered softly, attempting to pronounce the complicated words the stranger had used.  
"Yeah, I got it. Now leave."  
"As you wish."

The strange man, Fergus, left without making a fuss, yet he was greatly pleased with himself. Blake thought of Mike as a father and generally acted like a human, rather than a Pokémon. It was a lot easier to trick a Pokémon with the mind of a toddler than a toddler with the mind of a Pokémon. If he played his cards right, he'd be able to take Blake and Mike wouldn't even notice.

* * *

Mike took Blake to get some ice cream, as he'd promised. Although Blake had no arms, he still complained about Mike holding the cone for him, until he took a tentative lick of the icy substance. The cold set off a reflex response that made him melt his ice cream altogether.

"L-Look, dad! I-It... u-um..."  
"Melted."  
"M-M... M-Melted." Blake repeated to himself.  
"You can have mine if you'd like."  
"No, th-thank you. Th-That w-was cool!"

Rather than be upset, Blake seemed genuinely happy he'd managed to melt his ice cream so suddenly. Apparently, he hadn't liked ice cream as much as Mike expected.  
Mike continued to eat his own ice cream, bringing back memories of his childhood. He'd never enjoyed ice cream as a child – it was too cold, the flavor too mild – but as a young adult, he'd grown to appreciate it.

"The, uh, cone is also edible. Give it a try."

Blake pecked at the cone a bit, but he didn't care much for it. After taking out a few bits and pieces, he declined the rest.

"Well, that's alright." Mike said, eating some more of his ice cream. "I guess Pokémon just don't have the same taste as humans."

* * *

After Mike finished his cone, he and Blake took a few minutes to wander around town. A few wild Meowth were drawn to the duo and begged for the uneaten portion of Blake's cone, which Mike gladly gave them. Although he hadn't liked it very much, he cast a jealous look at them as they ate it. Mike chuckled, once again noting how Blake behaved like a child.  
Unbeknownst to both Mike and Blake, Fergus was following and observing them, waiting for his opportunity to snatch Blake from right under Mike's nose.  
Much to Fergus's disappointment, Blake never left Mike's side. He was never within more than two meters from Mike, nor was he ever outside of Mike's visual range. When his feet hurt from walking too much, he simply perched on Mike's shoulder to recover. Fergus stalked them as they walked from the library to the mart, from the mart to the train station, to the fair, and even as they took a ride in a cable-car. Eventually, Mike began to notice they were being followed, but pretended to still be oblivious. He traveled down an alley to force Fergus to reveal himself. However, Fergus had caught on and made himself scarce.

"Dad? W-Why are w-we h-here?"  
"I thought I saw someone. Come on, let's go see some more stuff."  
"Okay..."

* * *

Instead of following the duo around, Fergus decided to check on where they lived while they wandered around town. Mike thought he'd given up, but he was still unable to sleep properly. The man's offer wasn't strange by any stretch of the imagination – many such deals were made regularly; some trainers even traded Pokémon like commodities – but the fact he'd stalked them afterward was unnerving. Blake, as always, was unaware anything was wrong, and so he slept soundly on Mike's stomach, as he often did.  
Suddenly, in the middle of the night, Mike heard some scratches coming from the door. A few seconds later, it sounded like someone was fumbling with the lock. When the door suddenly opened, Mike waited until the intruder came close, before jumping on him and tying him up as best as possible with the bed sheets. Blake woke up from the commotion, spitting embers at random targets in his panic. The sheets were quickly set on fire, and a familiar voice cried out in terror and pain. After taking away the bed sheets and putting them out, Mike managed to chase and capture the lightly-burned interloper, Fergus.

"What are you doing here?!"  
"I-I'm sorry!"  
"Why were you trying to take my son?"  
"Th-They made me!  
"What? Who?"  
"Th-They said they needed overly energetic Pokémon, a-and..."  
"Who?!"  
"Did you really think they wouldn't find you again?"  
"What are you talking about?"  
"The team, Michael. The team you left behind. You may pretend you didn't know what you were doing, but deep down, you knew. You knew you were working for them. You knew you were helping them."  
"...The team is dead."  
"No... It was just waiting for the right opportunity to present itself."

Blake, scared by his father's sudden change in tone and demeanor, stayed by the hotel room door, nearly in tears.

"Dad? W-Why are you angry?" Blake sobbed.

Blake's sudden appearance distracted Mike long enough for Fergus to push him off and escape. Mike followed him to the street, where he vanished into thin air.

" _Dammit... We have to go, far away from here. It's not safe._ " Mike thought. " _If they know I'm here, they'll be coming for me... and for him._ "

Mike rushed back to the room, where Blake was still standing, and hurriedly packed his bags.

"D-Dad? W-What-"  
"We're going on a trip, Blake."  
"W-Why?"  
"I-I found another town with some cool stuff for you to see." Mike lied. "But we have to go quickly, alright?"

Blake was confused, but he trusted Mike without question. Once Mike was done packing, Blake perched on his shoulder and waited for his father to lead him wherever he wanted. Mike paid for the room and dashed out the front door, looking around himself suspiciously as he tried to avoid Fergus and whoever he worked for. Whenever someone seemed just a little too interested in him or Blake, he made sure to go the other way.

* * *

After ten minutes of nonstop running, Mike slowed his pace to catch his breath. The town was still close enough for Blake's sharp eyes to distinguish some facial features, but far enough that Mike felt they were safe. Blake, despite being a child, wasn't completely stupid. He knew there was something his father wasn't telling him.

"Dad?" Blake said, jumping to the ground in front of Mike.  
"I-I'm just a bit tired, is all."  
"No!"

Mike's eyes widened at Blake's rejection of his answer.

"What? What do you mean?"  
"Y-You're not telling th-the truth!"  
"...You're right." Mike sighed, figuring there was no point in lying any more. "That man who broke into our room? He wanted to take you away. He wanted to hurt you."  
"W-Why?"  
"Because you're special." Mike replied, petting Blake.  
"But..."  
"Blake, I... Some people... are bad. They hurt Pokémon, and even other people, because they think it can get them what they want. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth, but I just want to keep you safe. The people that man works for, they're dangerous. They **will** hurt you until they figure out... whatever it is they want."  
"...H-How?"  
"What?"  
"H-How do y-you know that?"

" _I knew this was coming..._ " Mike thought. " _I just hope he'll forgive me._ "

Mike sat down on a nearby rock, signaling for Blake to get on his lap, and finally came clean. Why he was always moving around, why that man was chasing them, and why he ran from town after talking to him. Before its downfall, Mike was a part of Team Rocket.  
He was just a low-level grunt, not deemed important enough to even have his own Pokémon. Although he didn't know he was working for Team Rocket, Mike eventually pieced it together, and left the organization shortly before nearly every member was arrested.  
The boss, as usual, was nowhere to be found, and Mike knew he didn't look to kindly on deserters. Even with the majority of its members arrested, Team Rocket still had agents in various cities. Giovanni wasn't one to let anything stop him; Mike knew he'd be rebuilding the team as soon as he got somewhere safe, so he moved around, hoping to avoid detection.  
Once Mike explained what Team Rocket was, and what they did, Blake jumped off his lap.

"Y-You lied! Y-You're a b-bad p-person!"  
"Blake, it's not like that... I-I didn't know what they were doing, I didn't know what **I** was doing. When I found out, I left!"  
"N-No! Y-You're a b-bad guy!"  
"Son, I'm sorry-"  
"No!"

Blake ran deep into the forest out of sheer anger and disappointment over Mike's past. Mike followed him as best as he could, guided by Blake's loud bawling, until Blake stopped. He was in tears, sitting on the cold ground.

"W-Why didn't you tell m-me?  
"Blake, look... when I... joined Team Rocket, I didn't know what I was getting into. It was just a delivery job. I drove around, taking boxes of Pokéballs from one place to another. I didn't know... there were Pokémon in them. I didn't tell you because... I thought... you'd hate me. I was afraid you'd leave me. I've never had... family."

Blake effortlessly evaporated his own tears and faced Mike.

"...Do you hate me?" Mike asked.  
"N-No..."

Mike sat down next to Blake, facing the way back so they wouldn't get lost. Blake noticed Mike's arms were scratched and bleeding.

"W-What happened?"  
"Oh... I got a little scratched up when I ran here. It's nothing." Mike replied with a smile.  
"...Sorry."  
"It's not your fault, Blake. I'm the one who made you upset... I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

Blake suddenly became agitated, as he usually did when wild Pokémon were near, but much more intensely. Mike was concerned; this frenzy likely indicated a large group of Pokémon.

"Blake? What's wrong?"  
"Hello, Michael."  
"Lisa? What are you doing here?"  
"...You should've stayed in town like I told you."

Mike saw an "R" on Lisa's hat, quickly realizing the truth.

"You work for Giovanni?"  
"Yeah... I was in charge of telling trainers their Pokémon couldn't be saved because of severe injuries before everything went away. I thought I could just be a nurse, but... Well, you know the boss... he doesn't let go of anything."  
"Why is he after me? I'm a nobody!"  
"You? Who said he's after you?"  
"What does he want with Blake?"  
"Who knows? He could be doing it just to spite you. He tends to hold a grudge."

Lisa tossed a Pokéball at Blake, but Mike quickly deflected it.

"You're not getting my son."  
"Pokémon are mindless beasts of burden; nothing more. I only told you all that bullshit so you'd stick around... just like the boss wanted."

Blake snarled loudly, adrenaline pumping through his body in preparation for a fight.

"See? He can't even see straight... He just wants to fight. Perfectly blind to anything but his base instincts... Just an animal, wanting to be satisfied."

Mike put his hand on Blake's forehead, temporarily snapping him out of his trance, before Lisa sent out one of her own Pokémon: a Hypno. Once Blake laid eyes on it, everything else faded into the background, including Mike.

"Tell you what, if he wins, I'll let you both go."  
"How do I know I can trust you?"  
"You don't... but I could also just take him right now, and there wouldn't be anything you could do about it. My Hypno can hold you in place while I make off with your Pokémon."

As if to demonstrate her trainer's threat was genuine, the Hypno pinned Mike down telekinetically. Mike immediately collapsed onto his stomach from the immense pressure on his body. No matter how hard he tried to get back up, it was as if an anvil had been dropped on him. His limbs simply didn't have the strength to fight back. However, it did get Blake's attention once again.

"Dad!"  
"I-I'm sorry, Blake..."  
"Don't hu-hurt m-my dad!"

Blake focused his power into a single large fireball that forced Lisa's Hypno to release her psychic grip on Mike. Pleased with her own efforts, Lisa smirked.

"Looks like it's a fight after all."  
"...Yeah." Mike grunted while he got back on his feet. "I guess it is."

Blake didn't wait before going on the offensive. He was furious at Lisa's Hypno for having hurt Mike, and his attacks reflected it. He wasn't bothering with physical attacks any more, instead resorting to large fireballs and burning the ground around his opponent. Mike simply stared at his ferocity, genuinely scared of him for the first time in his life. Every fireball was accompanied by Hypno's pained cries and Blake's guttural roars that made every hair on Mike's body stand up. Lisa's Hypno did her best to defend herself from the fireballs, but the scorching heat was overwhelming. Lisa constantly pushed her to fight harder, to no avail.  
At some point, Blake stopped caring about the events prior to the fight. Mike could see it in his eyes: his only goal was to hurt Hypno for the sake of hurting her. He didn't care about defending Mike, or even himself. Mike became horrified by Blake's bloodlust, fearfully glancing at a smirking Lisa.

"I told you... they're just mindless beasts."

Blake's orange-red flames became brighter and more intense with each passing moment. The more he gave in to his instincts – the same instincts he'd been suppressing to be Mike's child – the more powerful he became. His piercing eyes reflected the flames coming from his beak, almost as if they were on fire themselves. The forest on Lisa's side was already burning out of control, with various water-type Pokémon coming from all directions to try to control it. With one final roar, Blake seemed to have lost all control. Mike swore he was able to catch a hint of a sadistic grin on Blake's beak.  
Blake stopped focusing on Lisa's Hypno once she was no longer crying out in pain. Instead, he decided to turn his flames toward the forest, to burn it and her down. While he was busy trying to burn down the forest, however, she collapsed a burning tree on his head. The impact immediately knocked him out and stopped his rampage. Mike instinctively grabbed Blake, ignoring the painful burn on his hands, and ran through the flames to escape.

"Stop him, you useless creature!" Lisa yelled.

Although Hypno did her best to pin Mike to the ground like before, her wounds were simply too severe, and she passed out.

"...Worthless." Lisa said, recalling her Hypno. "I should just leave you here."

* * *

Mike's clothes were almost completely burned off. Where his clothes were gone, Mike's skin was burned as well. He had become disoriented from the smoke, heat, and pain, yet somehow managed to find his way back out to the road. He looked at Blake. His wound was bleeding a lot more than Mike would've expected. He had to go back into town, or Blake might not make it.  
Mike ignored his own fatigue and pain to go back to the PokéCenter. He couldn't see straight, but the large buildings in the distance gave him a rough heading. As soon as the doors on the PokéCenter opened, one of the nurses shrieked upon seeing his soot-covered and singed form, carrying a bleeding Pokémon in his arms.

"Please..." Mike said, stretching out his arms. "Save... h-..."

Mike wasn't able to finish his thought before finally succumbing to his weakened state.


End file.
